Hawke's Bay victims' struggle
None of us can imagine the sheer horror of the poor people of Christchurch, especially those who have lost loved ones, their homes and possibly their jobs - unless you've been through a similar experience yourself.
These fellow New Zealanders need and deserve every type of support the
rest of the nation can give. Whatever help they get will, in many cases, not be enough to return them to their status prior to the first earthquake.
However it is probably relevant to put some perspective into this recovery and how the Crown reacts to the calls for help and compensation.
If you have the misfortune to be affected by an adverse event such as the Christchurch earthquakes, particularly a natural disaster where blame is not apportioned, then you are at the mercy of the state, local authorities and insurers who need only respond to what they see as their legal or moral responsibilities.
Political pressure is normally the thing that gets most things done.
One of the best things going for the people of Christchurch, as was the case here after Cyclone Bola, is the magnitude of the problem and the number of people involved.
Consider this: Recently in Central Hawke's Bay a rain storm similar to, but arguably more destructive than, Cyclone Bola smashed its way through coastal farmland and settlements, leaving destruction so bad and extensive that in some cases farmers lost literally half their property and the damage was irreparable. Unfortunately, the decision for some will not be where to build next but what bank manager to hand the keys to. Because of the relatively small size of the event and the small number of people involved, and because their income-generating facility is uninsurable, their prospects for compensation compared with the Christchurch residents are virtually nil.
The good people of Christchurch will, with the rest of the country's help, eventually get through this.
Some of those decent coastal Hawke's Bay folk may find their journey to recovery more difficult.
Clive Bibby, Tolaga Bay
